Chassis/Suspension
· Completely new die cast aluminum frame utilizes new manufacturing methods
to provide optimum rigidity while reducing weight. Frame is tuned for
precise handling characteristics.
· Large, 45mm cartridge front fork offers rebound and compression damping
and spring preload adjustability.
· New Unit Pro-Link rear suspension system is patterned after RC211V GP
racer. In this system, the upper shock mount is contained within the
swingarm rather than the frame. With no top frame-mount for the shock, this
unique system eliminates negative suspension energy from being transmitted
into the frame, allowing optimum frame rigidity and improved rideability out
of corners. The HMAS shock offers rebound and compression damping, and
spring preload adjustability.
· Rear swingarm technology derived from RC211V.
· Braking system features twin four-piston front calipers, dual 310mm front
discs and a single 220mm rear disc for optimum stopping power.
· New centre-up exhaust system features four-into-two-into-one design for
increased performance and aerodynamics.
· Handlebars located below top triple-clamp for precise handling.

Honda has done an about face over the past couple of years,
and the new CBR600RR continues with that new direction. Honda is the world's
largest motorcycle manufacturer, and the philosophy up to now used to be "This
motorcycle is good for you, so buy it, use it and stop complaining." No, they
were devoid of character, were so user friendly that they became a kitchen
appliances, and anyone under the age of 96 could got on any model and ride it

Honda is has decided enough is enough, lets build the sort of motorcycles
that our customers demand, like sharper 'Blades, and 'barking mad 600s'. Yes,
Honda are now definitely back on track with the latest range of supersports
machinery and have taken a leaf out of Yamaha's book of how to build an R1 & R6.
That's bad news for the rest, but great news for us.

Take a good look at the new CBR600RR and tell me that me
that the skinny fairing offers good protection. and that your pillion will be
comfortable on that tiny little seatpad? Look at the indicators, they are also
tiny. Why do that when safety is, or was, the number 1 concern? Look at the
aggressive riding position. After a couple of hours on this tiny bike you
certainly can't feel anything and everything starts to ache!

When I first got on the CBR600RR my immediate reaction was 'God it's small',
in fact I said that about the R6, but this takes the crown for tiny 600s. If you
are anything over 5'8" then you will be hideously uncomfortable on this bike,
but don't get me wrong here because over all that, the size, the lack of
comfort, the contorted riding position, you will get a seriously good bike and
one that will make you smile. Big time!

Honda's did a lot of research with this bike and customer response showed
that potential CBR600 buyers wanted a 'lightweight design', a 'racing image',
and a bike that left an 'exciting dynamic impression'. And well, they got it!

The CBR600RR is the closest mainstream Honda production bike
that looks like one of Honda's racebikes. Honda makes no secret of comparing the
RR with Rossi's RC211V, and in this case beauty is more than just skin deep.
These 'looks' are achieved with the new fairing which features a sharper nose
and a much lower windscreen. As the Honda PR blurb openly admits, it's "a form
geared much more to the needs of the circuit than to the comforts of the
street". Add the stretched bellypan design and the underseat exhaust and the
link to Mr Rossi's rocket was complete.

Riding the CBR for the first time I couldn't
help but notice how free the engine felt. There was instant response from the
throttle, a slick and positive gearbox and the controls and levers that felt
light, easy to use, and well, sort of typical Honda. I was surprised by the lack
of on/off jerkiness with the throttle at low revs, this is usually an annoying
trait of many fuel-injected bikes, and especially bikes with lightweight engine
internals like the RR. The other thing that really caught me out was just how
tractable the RR was for a screaming 15,000rpm 600! I found that I could cruise
around in top gear at 3000rpm and yet there was no transmission snatch or
hesitation when opening the throttle to accelerate. There was also available
torque, which was a complete surprise, and there were no discernable dips or
kicks in the power delivery all the way through to 13,000rpm where the claimed
117bhp tops out. The engine in the CBR is an absolute gem, it's free revving
wherever and whenever you need it, has plenty of usable power and sounds
fantastic when you get it up into 5 figures!

Yes to put it in a nutshell it was smooth, had great power delivery, had
progressive torque and was in fact very easy to ride in traffic or town, if you
could get comfortable on it!

Out on the open road is where the CBR600RR comes into its
own though - it suddenly takes on a new life when you leave the 30-40-50mph
speed limits and things start to happen that you don't expect from a normal 600.
This bike handles well, in fact I would go on to say that it is superb on
ordinary roads. The suspension irons out everything even though it feels a
little stiff to start with. With fully adjustable forks and rear shock you can
play around with the settings to suit yourself. On the standard settings, and
after a few days riding it, I felt that the front was a little too soft for my
personal liking, so I wound it up a touch and that small adjustment made a huge
difference. Suddenly the bike became so planted on corners that you found
yourself carrying much more speed, it was easy to turn fast at almost any speed
on the stock settings, but now it had become even quicker.

A bike like this needs good brakes, and Honda have complimented the CBR600RR
with some of the best, in a word they are excellent. The brakes are the same set
up as the current Blade and VTR1000SP2, plenty of power and feel, so enough said
about those, I think you get the picture!!

There are plenty of practical touches on the RR, such as good
mirrors, a comfy seat, and an easy-to-read tacho. The build quality is excellent
and typical Honda standard, Oh, and everyone liked the looks of the CBR. Honda
has built this bike with one thing in mind - and that's to dominate Supersport
racing, trackdays, and get a large slice of the ultra-competitive 600 market.
The days of Honda's user-friendly CBR600 appealing to a wide range of riders are
long gone. The strange thing is I suspect that Honda will actually end up
selling more CBR600s now that it's gone down the race-replica route.

During the time I had the bike from Honda
various different riders tried it and all came to the same conclusions, it's a
great bike, totally unlike other Honda models in the past and great fun to ride.
It's hard to find any real faults with the CBR600RR, the only drawback is it's
size. It is small, in fact incredibly small, and as bikes get even smaller
people don't! Having said that after a while riding it you do get used to it and
there is still plenty of room to move around from side to side, and space enough
to move forward to get the weight over the bars for some tighter corners. If
truth be known the CBR600RR is in fact a bit too small for me, I'm 5'10" and
probably on the upper side of height for this bike. I can honestly say that it's
the first Honda that I have really enjoyed in a long time and it was sad to see
it go back!